|
upFront.eZine |
|
|
a
publication from |
|
|
Issue #470 : : April 18, 2006 |
|
|
C o n t e n t s The Place of New Technology in
CAD Analysis of
AutoCAD 2007's PDF Output Below the Radar and other regular columns.
|
Write the Editor. Donate to upFront.eZine through Paypal. Access nearly-daily CAD commentary at our blog: WorldCAD Access. |
|
|
|
|
The Place of New Technology in CAD Two new CAD technology companies have emerged recently, both run by industry veterans, such as Dick Sowar and Mike Payne. One (SpaceClaim) is still keeping quiet, the other (FreeDesign) revealed its n-sided surfacing technology last week. Can new technology break through into CAD? Evan Yares says yes; I say no.
Yes NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational Bezier Splines) are the standard mathematical form for representing 3D curves and surfaces in CAD data. That's not to say that NURBS are ideal for this task: they can be difficult to manipulate, can have accuracy problems, and can only be used to create 3 or 4-sided surface patches. FreeDesign has implemented a new surface styling application using a novel form of math that allows the creation of N-sided surface patches. Check out the video demo on the FreeDesign website -- it looks like the application makes creating aesthetic surfaces, such as auto bodies, a lot easier than it's been with traditional NURBS based tools. This should get it a lot of attention from people who use products such as Alias and ICEM Surf. The question here is whether there is real substance to FreeDesign. The company is going to have to prove that its product can produce not just pretty pictures, but also manufacturable "class A" surfaces. It's also going to have to show that its surfaces can be accurately translated to and from NURBS. (Currently, the software can translate to NURBS, but not from NURBS.) If FreeDesign can answer these questions, I think it could potentially be very successful -- in a way that competitors would have a hard time responding to. FreeDesign is based in Longmont, Colorado, just down the road a few miles from the home of a product that is conceptually very similar: SketchUp. Maybe it's the mountain air? [Evan Yares is the president of the Open Design Alliance.]
No This may be exciting technology for some in the CAD industry, but I worry about failed brilliance. I recall in the 1980s a graphics program that worked strictly with ellipses, because ellipses can model circles, lines, etc. Then there was a new CAD technology in the 1990s that manipulated every aspect of 3D models using just six commands. More recently, I recall a display technology that seems useful to CAD, but no CAD vendor was interested. Part of the problem is that CAD programs today contain much licensed technology -- 3D modeling, rendering, export formats, VBA, and so on. Every copy sold results in multiple royalty cheques mailed out to companies like D-cubed, Spatial, and Microsoft, which means less profit for the CAD vendor. I'd argue CAD vendors are loathe to license more new external technology. FreeDesign's best hope is to be bought-out. Which CAD vendor is looking for simplified surfacing?
Evan Yares responds: "The magic number seems to be 20%. A software product can handle a maximum of 20% total royalties on licensed technology." Analysis of AutoCAD 2007's PDF Output AcroPlot from CADzation performs batch conversions between numerous file formats, including PDF and DWF. They, like numerous other third-party developers working with PDF, were a touch nervous when Autodesk announced AutoCAD 2007 would output drawings in PDF format. You could say they felt relieved when they determined Autodesk's PDF export is, well, less than stellar. (It was implemented as a plotter driver.) CADzation analyzed the PDF files output by AutoCAD 2007 and wrote up AutoCAD 2007 DWG to PDF Output Analysis. (You can read it at < www.cadzation.com/acad2007.htm , but recognize that it's a benefit to CADzation that AutoCAD do a less than optimal job in producing PDF.) Some of the problem they found include these:
The page doesn't mention it, but 3D is not supported (U3D), as it is in MicroStation V8. You could say that everyone benefits from unstellar PDF output from AutoCAD:
A summary of CAD industry news you may not have read elsewhere, or that I found interesting:
CT CoreTechnologies of Germany upgrades 3D_Evolution for loss-free 3D data migration with parametric feature-based technologies. www.coretechnologies-inc.com Jotne EPM Technology of The Netherlands has a 12-page newsletter with articles about projects using the ISO TC184/SC4 standards: STEP/PLCS, IAI/IFC, and ISO15926. The 3MB PDF can be downloaded from www.epmtech.jotne.com/epm/download/expressway_no9_LAVOPP.pdf Rasterex Software of Norway releases version R8 of RxViewServer, their server-based software for viewing of documents and drawings over the Web. viewserver.rasterex.com FAST AG of Switzerland licenses 3D-DCM components from UGS's D-Cubed subsidiary for its GraphiteOne CAD product running on Linux. www.graphiteone-cad.com CAD Systems of Belgium is using D-Cubed's 3D Dimensional Constraint Manager for its new structural steel design software, Parabuild. www.parabuild.com Delcam of England notes that Russia's Rostvertol company, formerly the Rostov Helicopter Plant, has become the 15,000th customer of its CADCAM software. www.delcam.com Dassault Systemes of France has released its PLM software, ENOVIA V5 Collaborative Enterprise Sourcing. www.3ds.com - - - These news items were posted during the last week at the WorldCAD Access blog <worldcadaccess.typepad.com>:
Seminars & Conferences Geographic Information Systems & Water Resources IV is May 8-10 in Houston TX. www.awra.org/meetings/Houston2006/index.html Market News The PLM division of MSC.Software is now a part of TechniGraphics, which includes sales, consulting services, training, and technical support for Dassault's CATIA, SmarTeam, ENOVIA and DELMIA. Spin Doctor of the Moment "'Time' is not selecting the best retail products, we are
recognizing the concept and technology behind these inventions." Notable Quotable "...the last people to be wise to the deficiencies of Web
software are the We-vangelists themselves. Technically illiterate,
and pumped up on junk science and pious New Age aphorisms -- such
as 'collective intelligence' -- today's Web 2.0 kids promise to
leave a legacy of disappointment."
Copyright 2006 by upFront.eZine Publishing, Ltd. All rights reserved worldwide Article reprint fee US$250.00.
All trademarks belong to their respective holders. "upFront.eZine,"
"Talking About CAD," and "On your desktop every Tuesday morning"
are trademarks of upFront.eZinePublishing, Ltd. |
|
|
|
|